The state of education in this post-pandemic era is recovering, but very slowly — too slowly, considering the learning loss from remote schooling and the shortage of teachers to correct this problem. State officials estimate the number of teachers needed to fill the yearly openings at 1,200, a deficit that can’t be ignored.

There are some incremental steps being taken that bring some encouragement — a new stipend program for early-education teachers-in-training, for example, and a program to import trained, classroom- ready teachers from the Philippines.

There is more work to do in narrowing the chronic workforce gap, however, and the state Department of Education and lawmakers should explore as many routes as possible toward that end. There is a national problem with faculty shortages, and Hawaii could do more to compete with other states for qualified teachers.

Lawmakers and the administration of Gov. Josh Green were engaged in this issue, efforts capped by the agreement on 14.5% raises over four years for public school teachers. Improving the pay will do more to bring new teachers into the pipeline than any other single initiative.

On the margins, the contract negotiated for the Hawaii State Teachers Association also sought ways to remove barriers to recruitment in specialized areas. Specifically, it includes a memorandum of understanding improving protections for instructors employed under a Career and Technical Education (CTE) permit, preparing students for employment, and under a Hawaiian permit issued to instructors in Hawaiian language.

But more significant barriers remain steadfastly in place. One is the ability to recognize teacher licenses issued by other states, enabling more successful recruitment of needed faculty for Hawaii schools.

The federal Every Student Succeeds Act requires all teachers to meet state certification or licensing requirements at the grade level and subject area in which the teacher has been assigned. They earn what is called a “highly qualified” certificate, but Hawaii will not accept certificates issued by other states.

An out-of-state teacher can pursue a “reciprocal” Hawaii teaching license through the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board, but there should be ways to make this process simpler. There is a Teacher Education Coordinating Committee long-established in statute to increase the teaching candidate pipeline. It could bring new ideas on interstate cooperation to the Legislature in its annual reports.

The cost of living in Hawaii — with housing the top concern — is another barrier to recruitment, even if the licensing hurdles are dealt with. This is why passage of legislation authorizing the School Facilities Authority to build on- or off-campus teacher housing was so important. The SFA also will shoulder the state’s ambitious buildout of preschool facilities.

The new stipend program for preschool teachers is another aspect of recruitment. It took two years to launch modest payments to eligible students enrolled in credentialing programs within the University of Hawaii system.

It’s not the game-changer the HSTA negotiated raises were, but it’s broadly part of a long-term effort to interest more students in the teaching profession.

Finally, DOE has just hired 80 certified, experienced teachers from the Philippines to fill slots. This is a stopgap solution that is welcome, and it bears watching and evaluation for further expansion.

There is not a single solution for such a challenging workforce shortage. But the needs of Hawaii’s students are so critical that it falls to state leaders to attack it on multiple fronts, and quickly.